Lack of Brains Vs. Brawns

Lack of Brains Vs. Brawns (1-3)

Written by: Bill Motz & Bob Roth

Storyboard by: Chuck Klein

Directed by: Timothy Björklund

Original airing of date: August 21th 2004

Synopsis: While observing Mr. Whiskers laying in his rock, bully gorilla Lester took the rabbit at his biggest foe, while Brandy gets tired of the bunny antics, by make her embarassed to all the jungle.

There is lots of things to describe this cartoon: First, it's the first segment that weren't written by Russel Marcus in production order. (Despite what any online sources claims, this is by part of the second half-hour while on production as opposed to its original airing that was the third!) Secondly, grassopher Margo makes her first and albeit, short appearence on the series in a sorta-way rivalty with Brandy to who is going to be the most sophisticated between the twos.

Lack of Brains vs. Brawns tried to relocated the "Battle of Wits" genre that were famously known in the Looney Tunes series of cartoons, Post-Wartime. This time, it's Mr. Whiskers and a fearsome gorilla name Lester that goes with such animal torture and pains to the rabbit. Brandy seems to appeared more as filler in its conceit, but reveal her importance in the climax by terrorized Lester and anyone laugh of the rabbit's antics. Furthermore, one couldn't escape to how gross and somehow, monotonous, the cartoons start to be. Not to be says there's anything funny in there, but it's just things that we haven't seen in any other "wacky" cartoons before.

Despite be a Disney Channel animated series, there's a lot of gross and painful jokes right in this episode. If this is Bill Motz and Bob Roth tried its hand to the characters or something in the Disney offices who don't care of results of what's going on, who knows. The sad problem with that is there's lots of potential to be more interesting and appealing, but never wanted to do it. It was a factor to not only Disney, but also lots of the creative department in the mid-00s, as if they tried so hard to attract the hip kids by doing up edgy and 'Tude. This trend have getting back in recent times by the toxicity of social medias, over-the-top narcissism and sheer arrogance with people wearing sunglasses for no reason. Brandy was first designed for be a very unlikable girl protagonist and one you have to hate her, but in the end, she is a more lovable figure than... these things.

When in the waterfall, Mr. Whiskers put all the crap to the jungle denizens until he lay comfortably to a rock, which is belong to Lester. The conflict between the twos is exactly what you get with anything from Ren & Stimpy or others of this comical duo of characters. Lester is very fearsome and outraged by be a real menace to his antagonist. Whiskers end his aftermath to the Brandy's top of her head while others animals laugh all of this incident. The Brandy/Whiskers dynamic is more like the Pokemon characters Ash and Misty in the earliest of the series. So, it's such as seen them in fursuits!

By trying to gaining trust, Brandy convinced the rabbit to not using violence to fix his differences against the jungle bully. While Whiskers just trying to be "his" friend. In a typical series of blackout scenes, (See the influence of theatrical cartoons there?) the rabbit imagine doing any amusing plays with Lester but while in the reality, Lester see him as a braggart intruder, by be literally too bonkers to befriend him.

                                                                            

Back to waterfall, Lester washed his feets when suddenly, Mr. Whiskers goes on a calm, cool vibe to honor his friendship, by a game of checkers. A fun idea perhaps, but we're know what's going to happen to anyone seen these cartoons tropes before. It's not enough for Lester to crush all the Mr. Whiskers' checkers, but by playing Dames, he cropped all the game thing to the rabbit and went away, by another embarassing and humiliation to Brandy's face. The girl pooch have enough of him to be ashamed to anyone, so she abandon him in the forest and never went back. It's until Ed came appear and teaching him about Self-Defense. (Ironically, that would be the theme in Season 2's cartoon segment Class Dismissed. But in this, Whiskers weren't still familiar with all his newer environment.)

Another series of blackout gags appearing when Ed challenged Whiskers on any sports in order to fight against Lester and gets the punishment he deserve. But usually, we get a very slow-motion sequence of the otter punching the big rabbit's face on a boxing practice game.

Now, the class is gone, Whiskers is more than determinate to get his revenge to his intimidated bully, but things went too far while Brandy realized that it's all her fault. Ed explain her about anything of the rabbit's hurdles to get some force and bravery to kick the gorilla out. This is went too long with needless explanations just for prolonged the runtime than giving some consistencies to the otter's arguing.

For the first time, Brandy going to save her friend by falling to any traps until to be completely dirty and almost naked (!), while a very unrecognizable view of her is there that scared Lester and all his animal companions out of the scene, while Whiskers thinking to have done the job! It's such a gimmick that will be back one way to another in the series, especially in Season 1.

When Brandy assured the rabbit that he's fine and that he is her best friend, the episode would ended that way and nobody will ever complain, but sadly, they needed to make another and very pointless joke about Brandy's dirtiest look. The cartoon ended with her thrown a rock to Whisker's head. It's unfunny, sadistical and it's a major problem with many endings of this show as they need to make a calling to a earlier gag in order to add insult to injury. In this, there was no point of the rabbit doing any stupid remarks to Brandy's "Robinson Crusoe-like" allure after all the chase she endearing for save him.

Critique:

The first cartoon episode that is not written by Russel Marcus, by also introducing us to grassopher Margo while she became a regular character in the cast later in the series, this earliest effort is pretty gold in gags, but lacking the joyful lunacity of the first half-hour that seems so effortless. Lester is a very fearsome foe, and one that anyone must to be scare about him, even to the rabbit which a series of visual animal-cruelty was a little too sadistical to put some laughs. However, what works best there is Brandy don't go to hated the silly rabbit, by be feel rather embarassed and annoyed by him, looking of her teeths groan on him or while Whiskers picking his nose. Motz and Rob did a pretty good job writing with characters they didn't ever working before it, while the origins of why the series is made is that people actually looking for a job on Post-9/11 era. When the ending is on with a Robinson Crusoe-like allure on the canine girl after a series of falls and mishaps, it does give a very rare occasion to plays with a girl protagonist without just make it at cocky or owning too much perfection. (We looking at you, Kim Possible!) If only the rabbit knows that it's by her "dirtiest" look that had frightened all the jungle bullies out the scene. Despite the rough conditions of the production, the characters are much nuanced and layered than they tried to depict it, but the whole thing fall apart when Whiskers makes remarks of Brandy's dirty look while just a ending hug would be more appropriate. It's an animated production that still works despite all the behind-the-scenes and motions that tried to go against it. It's only the segment's ending that needs some casual bite.